Hay-rake.



J. DA'IN.

HAY RAKE. APPLIOATIONII'ILED 23.16, 1904.

974, 125, Patented Nov. 1,1910.

2 SHEETB-8HBET 1.

THE'NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTUN, n. cy

.T. DAIN.

' HAY RAKE.

APPLIUATION FILB D APR- 16, 1904.

Patented Nov; 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH DAIN, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA.

HAY-RAKE.

rams.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of WVapello and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Rakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to rakes, and has particularly to do with push-rakes, such as that illustrated and described in my Patent No. 560,692, dated May 26th, 1896,which rakes are commonly known as power-lift rakes, since they are so constructed that the draft of the team may, if desired, be employed to elevate the points of the rake-teeth from raking to carrying position, as described and broadly claimed in my said patent.

The object of my present invention is to provide certain improvements in rakes of the type above referred to,which improvements relate to the means for elevating or depressing the rake-teeth to means for locking the rake-teeth in carrying-position; to the connections between the rake-head, and the devices for elevating the rake-teeth so that yielding of the teeth is permitted; and to various other features of construction which will be hereinafter fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved rake; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailsome parts being in section illustrating the connections by which the rake-head is adjusted; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the connections between the pull-poles and the rake-head; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the draft-connections,some parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawings,78 indicate the side bars of the main frame or carriage of the rake,said side bars being con nected by a front crossbar 9, and intermediate crossbar 10, and a rear crossbar 11, the latter being shown in section in Fig. 3.

1213 indicate inclined braces, connecting the front and rear portions of the frame,- thereby adding to its rigidity. The braces 12-13 are preferably connected to the rear bar 11, by means of a bracket 14 which is preferably of cast iron and is suitably shaped to serve as a means of supporting various parts of the rake.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the rear bar 11 extends a considerable distance beyond the side bars 78,braces 1516 being pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1964.

Serial No. 203,393.

vided between the end-portions of said bar 11 and the side bars 78, respectively, to brace the outer portions of said bar 11.

1718 indicate caster-wheels, which support the rear of the frame or carriage,-the spindles l920 of said caster-wheels being mounted in suitable bearings 21-22 at the rear portion of the frame. The front portion of the frame is provided with collars 232t, preferably connected to the forward ends of the bars 78, as shown in Fig. 1. The collars 23-2 1 serve as bearings for a shaft 25 which forms a part of the rakehead and carries the front wheels 2627, as shown in Fig. 1.

28 indicates the rear bar of the rake-head, which is connected by braces 29 with the shaft 25, and also by the rake-teeth 30,-the rear ends of said rake-teeth being connected to said bar 28, as shown in Fig. l. The rake-teeth are also connected to the shaft 25, which is preferably tubular,-suitable blocks 31 being provided between the shaft 25 and each of the rake-teeth, as shown in Fig. 2.

3233 indicate crossbars, which form part of the rake-head and extend transversely of the frame,being supported one above the other over the wheels by braces 3eL-3536. The braces 34 and 35 are connected directly to the upper bar 32 and to the rear bar 28, as shown in Fig. 2, and the braces 35 are also connected. through auxiliary braces 37 with the bars 33. The braces 36 connect the bars 3233 with the shaft 25. By this 0011- struction the rake-head is made substantially triangular in end elevation,the bars 32-33 being supported in a plane substantially perpendicular to the rake-teeth, so that they serve as guards to prevent further backward movement of the hay gathered by the raketeeth.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

38 indicates shields or guards, which are the lever 39 at a point a short distance from its pivot, so that said poles may be moved forward or backward by rocking said lever. At their forward ends said poles are providedwith slotted straps 4L5 tigvhichproject beyond the forward ends of said poles at opposite sides thereof and connect with the upper portion of the rake-head by pins 47 which extend through the slots 48 in said straps. The pins 4.7 are preferably connected with the braces 3536, but they may be connected in any other suitable manner with the head. Springs 19 are provided between the forward ends of the poles 41-42 and suitable stops at the back of the rake-head, said stops being preferably the upper portions of the braces 35, as shown in Fig. l. By this construction a yielding connection is secured between the forward ends of the pull-poles 41-42 and the rake-head, so that, when necessary, the rake-head may rock slightly, independently of said pull-poles and of the operating-levers. lVhile the construction shown for securing such flexible connection is the best at present known to me, obviously various other arrangements to the same end could be made; and therefore, except in so far as such specific construction is particularly claimed, I do not wish to be limited thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by throwing the upper end of the lever 39 forward, the upper portion of the rake-head is also moved forward,-the shaft turning in the wheels 26-27, the forward ends of the rake-teeth being thereby de pressed and yieldingly held in contact with the ground. Reverse movement of the lever 39 elevates the rake-teeth to a more or less nearly horizontal position. Usually the forward ends of the teeth are raised slightly higher than the rear ends thereof, so that the hay is not apt to slide off while being transported on the rake.

For raising the rake-teeth by power, the pull-poles are connected with the draft-devices at the opposite sides of the rake. In the embodiment illustrated, swingle or double trees 50 are provided at the opposite sides of the rake, and are connected by flexible connections 51 with the rear portions of the pull-poles 4L1-4E2, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The flexible connections 5l which are preferably chainspass around pulleys 5253 at the outer and inner portions of the rear bar 11, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the draft of the team applied to the swingle or double trees 50 exerts backward pull upon the pull-poles et1-42,thereby raising the front ends of the rake-teeth. The flexible connections 51 may be flexible throughout their length, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or they may be made partially rigid, as shown in Fig. 5, wherein there is an intermediate bar 54; and a strap 55, through which connection is made be= tween each flexible connection and the corresponding pull-pole. It will be under stood, therefore, that the term flexible connection as herein used, is not to be limited to a connection flexible throughout its length.

In order to provide for operating the rakehcad by foot-power, as well as by hand and by the power of the team, I provide a footlever 56, which is preferably bifurcated so as to provide a member at each side of the hand-lever 39, as shown in Fig. 1. The footlever 56 is pivotally mounted upon the bracket 1l,a pivot 57 connecting said lever with lugs 58 rising from the bracket 14L, as shown in Fig. 3. The space between said lugs is equal to the width of the lower portion of the lever 56, so that they serve also to hold the lever against lateral displacement. The lever 56 is connected with the pull-poles through a bifurcated lever 59, which is pivotally mounted upon the bracket 14 at a point back of the foot-lever 5(i, being supported by a pivot (50 passing through lugs 61 rising from said bracket, as shown in Fig. 3. The pivot (30 is placed between the ends of the lever 59, as shown in said figure, and the foot-lever 56 is connected with the lever 59 at a point below its pivot by connecting-rods (32 which connect with the members of the lever 56 above the pivot 57: consequently forward movement of the lever 56 causes backward movement of the lever 59, and vice versa. The members of the lever 59 are in turn connected by curved straps G3 with the hand-lever 39 and the straps 4l31 l, which connect said hand-lever with the pull-poles. As shown in Fig. 3, the straps 63 are connected by pins 6 1 with the members of the lever 59, above the pivot 60: consequently movement of the hand-lever 39 causes similar movement of the lever 59 and reverse movement of the lever 56. The object of curving the straps 63 is to provide for carrying the pins 64: down below the pivot 60, so that when the lever 59 is turned back to the limit of its movement, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the pivot 60 lies above a line drawn between the pins 64: and the pivot (35 by which the forward ends of the straps (53 are connected with the lever 39. By this means the rake-head may be locked in carrying position. As also shown in dotted lines, when the parts are in the locked position described, the lever 59 extends forward and upward,its forward end being higher than the pins 64.

The connecting-rods 62 are so placed with regard to the levers 59 and 56 that at this time,*i. 0., when the parts are in their locked position,said rods extend forward and downward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. The object of this arrangement is to provide for unlocking the rake-head by the use of the foot-lever, since by slightly depressing the foot-lever 56, from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the inner end of the lever 59 may be moved downward sufficiently to throw the pin 64 up far enough to release the lock,thereby permitting the rake-teeth to resume their operative position. If for any reason the parts should stick and fail to unlock in the manner above described, the unlocking may be effected by slightly raising the outer ends of the lever 59. To this end, the ends of the lever 59 are provided with foot-pieces 66.

67 indicates the seat, which is carried ona support 68 secured to the rear portion of the bracket 14, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: Vhen the rake is started, the draft of the team is trans mitted through the flexible connections 51 to the pull-poles, and if said pull-poles are free to move backward, they are drawn back and the rake-teeth elevated by the draft of the team,assisted to a greater or less extent, as may be desired, by the operator, who may apply power to the rake-head either by pulling back on the hand-lever 89 or by pressing forward on the members of the foot-lever 56. If the rake-teeth be lifted high enough, the lever 59 swings back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby locking the teeth in carrying-position. The manner of releasingthe lock has already been described,it being accomplished either by sharply pressing down the members of the foot-lever 56 or by lifting the outer ends of the members of the lever 59. For raking purposes the hand-lever 89 is thrown forward,-thereby depressing the points of the rake-teeth; and they may be held in yielding contact with the ground either by holding the hand-lever 39 in its forward position by hand, or by foot-power applied to the members of the lever 59.

So far as I am aware, no one has heretofore provided a lever arranged to be moved forwardly to elevate the points of the raketeeth; nor has any one, so far as I am aware, employed such lever, in connection with means operated by the draft of the team, for raising the points of the rake-teeth. These features, therefore, are claimed broadly. Furthermore, as regards the other features of my invention herein described, I wish it to be understood that, except in so far as the details of the construction described are particularly claimed, I do not wish to be restricted to such specific details, as my invention includes, broadly and generically, the subjectmatter of the broader claims.

That which I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a pair of pivotally-mounted levers carried at the rear of said frame, means connecting said levers at the same side of the pivots thereof, and means connecting said levers with said rakehead, whereby movement of said levers in the same direction similarly moves the points of the rake-teeth, a third lever, and means connecting said third lever with the rake-head in such manner that movement of said lever oppositely to the other levers will effect similar movement of the rake-teeth, substantially as described.

2. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a hand-lever for vertically adjusting the points of the raketeeth, a foot-lever pivotally mounted back of said hand-lever, means connecting said levers together above the pivots thereof, a second foot-lever mounted forward of said first foot-lever, and connecting-means connected with the second foot-lever above its pivot and with the first foot-lever below its pivot, whereby said foot-levers move simultaneously in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head arranged transversely of said frame and pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a pivotally-mount- 9 ed lever at the rear portion of said frame,

said lever being connected with said rakehead and operating when moved forward to lift the points of the rake-teeth, a lockinglever pivotally mounted back of said firstmentioned lever, and means operated by backward movement of said locking-lever for locking. said rake-head in carrying-position, substantially as described.

4;. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted atthe forward portion thereof, a pivotally-mounted lever at the rear portion of said frame and connected with said rake-head, a lock; ing-lever pivotally mounted back of said first-mentioned lever, and a curved connection between said levers, said connection being pivotally connected to said lockinglever, so that the pivot thereof may be thrown back of the pivot of said locking lever, thereby locking the rake-head in car rying-position, substantially as described.

5. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a pivotallymounted lever at the rear portion of said frame and connected with said rake-head, a locking-lever pivotally mounted back of saidfirst-mentioned lever, means operated by backward movement of said lockinglever for locking said rake-head in carrying-position, and means connected with said locking-lever below the pivot thereof for unlocking said rake-head, substantially as described.

6. In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a pivotally-mounted lever at the rear portion of said frame and connected with said rake-head, a locking -lever pivotally mounted back of said first-mentioned lever, a curved connection between said levers, said connection being pivotally connected to said locking-lever so that the pivot thereof may be thrown back of the pivot of said locking-lever, thereby locking the rake-head in carrying-position, and means for unlocking said rakehead, substantially as described.

7 In a rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally mounted at the forward portion thereof, a pivotallymounted lever at the rear portion of said frame and connected with said rake-head, a locking-lever pivotally mounted back of said first-mentioned lever, means operated by backward movement of said locking-lever for locking said rake-head in carrying-position, and a lever connected with said locking-lever below the pivot thereof for unlocking the rake-head, substantially as described.

JOSEPH DAIN.

Witnesses C. A. LASSER, J. D. BROWNING. 

